Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms Commons^™

Sleep Self-Efficacy, Loneliness, And Physical Activity: Assessing The Pathways Between Sleep Quality And Mental Health Using Structural Equation Modeling, Amber M. Fox

Theses and Dissertations

Although there is robust empirical support that poor sleep contributes to declines in mental health, explanations of this relationship remain unclear. The purpose of the present study was to examine the pattern of associations between sleep quality, sleep self-efficacy, loneliness, physical activity, and mental health among U.S. adults across the lifespan, and whether they differed by gender or age group. A structural equation model with invariance analysis was developed and examined data from 2,300 adults (M_age = 44.1, SD = 16.78) participating in the online study Investigating Sleep Longitudinally Across Normal Development (ISLAND). Sleep quality was measured by …

Psychological Resilience In Student-Athletes During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Henley Lapid

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the psychological resilience process in student-athletes during the unique adverse context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study sought to answer the following research questions guided by Fisher et al.’s (2019) heuristic framework: (1) What resilience mechanisms, (2) promoting factors, and (3) resilience outcomes were experienced by participants in their resilience demonstrations? and (4) How does the resilience process unfold over time across adverse contexts including the COVID-19 pandemic? Nine student-athletes from Wilfrid Laurier University were interviewed on their experiences demonstrating resilience within and outside of the pandemic. A thematic analysis (Braun …

Moderate Prenatal Ethanol Exposure, Sex, And Housing Modify Spatial Navigation Behavior And Hippocampal Cell Firing In Adult Rodents, Christy Magcalas

Psychology ETDs

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is associated with structural and physiological changes that impact the central nervous system and can result in persistent negative consequences in a broad spectrum of cognitive and behavioral domains including deficits in spatial learning and memory and behavioral flexibility. The current study focuses on examining the behavioral and mechanistic consequences of PAE, sex and housing. Rats were tested in the Morris Water Task where they were trained to navigate to a goal location and tested in a pool shift manipulation. There were no significant differences between PAE treatment, sex, or housing groups during training, but there …

Depression As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Perceived Injustice And Neuropsychological Performance Validity Among Individuals Previously Diagnosed With A Concussion, Jeremiah Lum

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Concussion is one of the most common conditions seen within rehabilitation and neuropsychology. Given that many concussions are diagnosed following litigation-associated injuries, it is unsurprising that malingered neurocognitive deficit (i.e., deliberate underperformance on cognitive instruments in the interest of secondary gain) has dominated the concussion literature. Although the identification of malingering is essential to ethical assessment, its presence or absence is not the sole determinant of performance validity as a whole. Rather, performance validity is a broad construct involving effort, which refers to examinees’ investment in performing at capacity levels; emerging research suggests this can be affected by psychological factors …

Peer-Led Building Resilience And Enhancing Social-Emotional Skills Program, Danielle K. Enrico

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

The purpose of the Capstone experience was to develop and implement a five-week peer-led building resilience and social-emotional skills training program at a public high school. This program addressed high school students' knowledge, skills, and attitudes regarding resources, social-emotional skills, and resilience. A questionnaire was administered pre and post-program to measure effectiveness. The results indicated an increase in scores, demonstrating a clearer understanding in all three areas.

Digital Stress Management In Cancer: Testing Stressproffen In A 12-Month Randomized Controlled Trial, Elin Børøsund, Shawna L. Ehlers, Matthew M. Clark, Michael A. Andrykowski, Milada Cvancarova Småstuen, Lise Solberg Nes

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Cognitive-behavioral stress management interventions are associated with improved psychological well-being for cancer survivors. The availability of, access to, and outreach of these in-person interventions are limited, however. The current study, therefore, evaluated the efficacy of StressProffen, a digital application (app)-based stress management intervention for cancer survivors, in a 12-month randomized controlled trial.

METHODS: Cancer survivors 1 year or less after their treatment (N = 172) were randomized to the StressProffen intervention (n = 84) or a usual-care control group (n = 88). The intervention was delivered in a simple blended care model: 1) 1 in-person introduction session, 2) 10 …

Direct And Indirect Effects Of Alcohol Craving And Demand On Obsessive And Compulsive Drinking Characteristics: The Role Of Impulsivity, James V. Turner Iv

Theses and Dissertations

This study’s goal was to test a novel model of obsessive-compulsive thoughts about drinking. Young adults completed tasks measuring potential drinking characteristics. Findings indicated demand was related to higher OCTD, a significant effect of CIC on OCTD via demand, and that the relationship was particularly strong for impulsive individuals.

Mental Health Treatment In Juvenile Correctional Facilities: Utilizing Assessment To Inform Treatment, Sarah Riccio

Dissertations

Youth in juvenile correctional facilities face a wide range of mental health difficulties. Over the years, the juvenile justice system has prioritized the need for providing appropriate and effective treatment services to youth throughout their detainment. Despite these ongoing efforts, treatment practices in juvenile correctional facilities continue to fall short. This study will first focus on assessment practices within these facilities and the impact current practices have on diagnosis and subsequent treatment. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of comprehensive evaluations for informing diagnosis and determining the individual treatment needs of detained youth. An integrated approach to assessment will …

Maintaining Physical Activity During Covid-19: The Influence Of Psychosocial Variables In Individuals With Back Pain, Heidi Stabbert

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Stressor events, such as COVID-19, may trigger adaptive or maladaptive pain management strategies among individuals with persistent low back pain (LBP). Individuals with lower fear avoidance, depression and anxiety, and greater positive affect and quality of life may better maintain positive pain management strategies during stressor events. This study investigated psychosocial characteristics of individuals with LBP who demonstrated adaptive pain management strategies during COVID-19, indicated by maintenance of physical activity (PA). Individuals with persistent LBP (age 22.4 (3.4) years, n=25) from an existing longitudinal cohort participated. Participants completed a baseline survey prior to COVID-19 quantifying demographics, pain characteristics, the Physical …

Functional Seizures: The Patient’S Perspective Of A Diagnostic And Treatment Odyssey, Heather J. Andrini, Sydni L. Au Hoy, Ashley M. Okhovat, Juliana Lockman, Gregory R. Goldsmith

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Functional seizures can be challenging to properly diagnose, often leading to delays in treatment. The etiology of functional seizures is multifactorial, with psychological factors identified in many, but not all cases. Misdiagnosis may occur due to clinical features mimicking other medical conditions. Once a correct diagnosis is reached, delivery of definitive, evidence-based treatment may be challenging due to limited availability of specialized resources. Research shows psychological education and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) have the greatest efficacy. However, individual differences, including acceptance of the diagnosis, therapeutic alliance, duration of symptoms, comorbidities, and access to care may influence outcomes. There is a …

Independent And Combined Associations Between Multiple Lifestyle Behaviours And Academic Grades Of Inner Urban And Peri-Urban High School Students: A Cross-Sectional Study In Chongqing, China, Zhengjie Cai, Jinli Xian, Camila Araujo, Ziwei Zhang, Hongyu Zhou, Huan Peng, Manoj Sharma, Yong Zhao

Social and Behavioral Health Faculty Research

Objectives This study aims to assess the independent and combined associations between multiple lifestyle behaviours and academic grades of inner urban high school students (IUHSSs) and peri-urban high school students (PUHSSs). Design A cross-sectional study was conducted. Participants There are 1481 high school students (49.9% boys) in this study, who were enrolled from one inner urban and two peri-urban schools in Chongqing, China. Outcome measures Academic grades were assessed based on the students’ self-reported grade ranking in the last cumulative examination. Results In IUHSSs and PUHSSs, high frequency of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption was unlikely to obtain high academic grades (OR …

Boosting Brain Waves Improves Memory, Richard J. Addante, Mairy Yousif, Rosemarie Valencia, Constance Greenwood, Raechel Marino

Psychology Faculty Publications

Have you ever wanted to improve your memory? Or have you struggled to remember what you studied? Memory uses special patterns of activity in the brain. This experiment tested a new way to create brain wave patterns that help with memory. We wanted to see if we could improve memory by using lights and sounds that teach the brain waves to be in sync. People wore special goggles that made flashes of light and headphones that made beeping noises. This trained the brain through a process called entrainment. The entrainment put the brain in sync at a specific brain wave …

Daily Phonatory Activity Of Individuals With Parkinson’S Disease, Jeff Searl, Angela M. Dietsch

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Purpose

This study evaluated the amount of phonatory activity of Persons with Parkinson disease (PwPD) compared to adults without Parkinson’s disease measured over 3 days. The relationship between the amount of phonatory activity and Voice Handicap Index (VHI) total score was assessed as were differences in voicing activity across 3 days of data collection.

Methods

Fifteen PwPD receiving dopaminergic medication and fifteen age and sex matched adults without Parkinson’s disease completed the VHI and then wore a VocaLog vocal monitor (VM) for 3 consecutive days. From the VM data, the number of 1-second windows with dB sound pressure level > 0 …

Construct Validity For The Self-Reported Competency And Sub-Construct Associated Characteristics Of Romanian Physicians In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mohammad H Rahbar, Iuliana Dobrescu, Shezeen Gillani, Manouchehr Hessabi, Sori Kim, Mihaela Stancu, Florina Rad

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Lack of physicians' knowledge regarding mental health, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) could have adverse effects on affected individuals' health and quality of life. The purpose of this study was to provide construct validity for a modified questionnaire in order to determine the self-reported competency for underlying sub-constructs in ASD, make inferences on perceived competence in ASD based on a sample of Romanian physicians, and identify physicians' characteristics associated with these sub-domains of competency.

METHODS: For this survey, we modified a questionnaire that was used in Pakistan and Turkey, and administered it to a sample of 383 practicing physicians …

Overcoming The Covid-19 Pandemic For Dementia Research: Engaging Rural, Older, Racially And Ethnically Diverse Church Attendees In Remote Recruitment, Intervention And Assessment, Lisa Kirk Wiese, Ishan C. Williams, Nancy E. Schoenberg, James E. Galvin, Jennifer Lingler

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Background: Access to cognitive screening in rural underserved communities is limited and was further diminished during the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined whether a telephone-based cognitive screening intervention would be effective in increasing ADRD knowledge, detecting the need for further cognitive evaluation, and making and tracking the results of referrals.

Method: Using a dependent t-test design, older, largely African American and Afro-Caribbean participants completed a brief educational intervention, pre/post AD knowledge measure, and cognitive screening.

Results: Sixty of 85 eligible individuals consented. Seventy-percent of the sample self-reported as African American, Haitian Creole, or Hispanic, and 75% were female, with an average …

The Nature Of Anti-Asian American Xenophobia During The Coronavirus Pandemic: A Preliminary Exploration Into Envy As A Key Motivator Of Hate, Daisuke Akiba

Publications and Research

Background. The current Coronavirus pandemic has been linked to a dramatic increase in anti-Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) hate incidents in the United States. At the time of writing, there does not appear to be any published empirical research examining the mechanisms underlying Asiaphobia during the current pandemic. Based on the stereotype content model, we investigated the idea that ambivalent attitudes toward AAPIs, marked primarily with envy, may be contributing to anti-AAPI xenophobia. Methods. Study 1 (N = 140) explored, through a survey, the link between envious stereotypes toward AAPIs and Asiaphobia. Study 2 (N = 167), …

Feasibility Of A Sensor-Controlled Digital Game For Heart Failure Self-Management: Randomized Controlled Trial, Kavita Radhakrishnan, Christine Julien, Tom Baranowski, Matthew O'Hair, Grace Lee, Atami Sagna De Main, Catherine Allen, Bindu Viswanathan, Edison Thomaz, Miyong Kim

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Poor self-management of heart failure (HF) contributes to devastating health consequences. Our innovative sensor-controlled digital game (SCDG) integrates data from sensors to trigger game rewards, progress, and feedback based on the real-time behaviors of individuals with HF.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to compare daily weight monitoring and physical activity behavior adherence by older adults using an SCDG intervention versus a sensors-only intervention in a feasibility randomized controlled trial.

METHODS: English-speaking adults with HF aged 55 years or older who owned a smartphone and could walk unassisted were recruited from Texas and Oklahoma from November 2019 to …

Identifying App-Based Meditation Habits And The Associated Mental Health Benefits: Longitudinal Observational Study, Chad Stecher, Vincent Berardi, Ryan Fowers, Jaclyn Christ, Yunro Chung, Jennifer Huberty

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background: Behavioral habits are often initiated by contextual cues that occur at approximately the same time each day; so, it may be possible to identify a reflexive habit based on the temporal similarity of repeated daily behavior. Mobile health tools provide the detailed, longitudinal data necessary for constructing such an indicator of reflexive habits, which can improve our understanding of habit formation and help design more effective mobile health interventions for promoting healthier habits.

Objective: This study aims to use behavioral data from a commercial mindfulness meditation mobile phone app to construct an indicator of reflexive meditation habits …

Patient Characteristics And Emergency Treatment Orders In Three Florida Inpatient Psychiatric Units, France M. Leandre, Hong Liang, Sarah Fayad, Michael Johnson

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

Florida law defines emergency treatment orders (ETOs) as an immediate administration of psychotropic medications to a person to expeditiously treat symptoms that may present an immediate danger to the safety of the person or others.1 There is currently little information on who receives ETOs. In this study, we aim to explore correlations between patients’ demographics and administering ETOs in order to understand this cohort, which could allow for improved services and alternative interventions.

Methods

This retrospective study examined data from 1,460 adult patients who were admitted to an acute inpatient psychiatric unit from January 2015 to December 2017 and …

Understanding Parents' Views Toward The Newly Enacted Hpv Vaccine School Entry Policy In Puerto Rico: A Qualitative Study, Vivian Colón-López, Diana T. Medina-Laabes, Roxana Soto Abreu, Olga L. Díaz Miranda, Ana P. Ortiz, María E. Fernández, Pamela C. Hull

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: The Human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV) is an essential tool for the prevention of HPV-related cancers. In Puerto Rico, the Secretary of Health established a school entry requirement of at least one dose of HPV vaccination in girls and boys aged 11 and 12 years, taking effect in August 2018. Our study aimed to examine parents' and guardians' views of unvaccinated children about the process of implementation of the new HPV vaccination school entry policy in Puerto Rico and identify potential barriers and facilitators related to the implementation of this requirement.

METHODS: During April through November 2019, we conducted three …